Microsoft has announced plans to retire Skype, its long-standing video calling and messaging service, in May 2025, urging users to transition to Microsoft Teams to retain access to their chats and contacts.
The tech giant made the announcement via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, stating:
“Starting in May 2025, Skype will no longer be available. Over the coming days you can sign in to Microsoft Teams Free with your Skype account to stay connected with all your chats and contacts. Thank you for being part of Skype.”
Launched in August 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis, Skype quickly became one of the most popular communication platforms, amassing 54 million registered users by 2005.
That same year, eBay acquired Skype for $2.6 billion, but later sold a majority stake to a group of investors led by Silver Lake in 2009.
Microsoft took full ownership of Skype in 2011, integrating it into its ecosystem, but the platform struggled to maintain its dominance against rising competition from Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime, and even Microsoft’s own Teams.
Explaining the decision, Microsoft stated that the move aligns with its goal of streamlining communication tools.
“The way we communicate has evolved significantly over the years. From instant messaging to video calls, technology has continuously transformed how we connect with each other,” Microsoft said.
“In order to streamline our free consumer communications offerings so we can more easily adapt to customer needs, we will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), our modern communications and collaboration hub.”
